Cars 2, Rooftop hydroponic greenhouses, Edouard Martinet, Steve Jobs, parenting tip from Dr. Kevin Leman and Pinto Art Gallery in Antipolo

Thanks to the long weekend from P-Noy, my kids were able to go on a date with their Ma Dahls to see Cars 2 in 3D. They love it, of course.

"Carlos was very excited he kept on jumping on his chair," my little girl told me about her brother.

They got tired from too much fun that they slept early that day. Good start for this 3-day school week. :)

Planting fun and nobility
The world is going back to agriculture. Noting organic as the way to go. As a lass from the province, I am at home with the land. That's why I want my kids to experience slow life in the rural farms. We haven't had the chance to do that.

I have heard of hydroponic farms in Tagaytay which supplies salad greens to five-star restaurants in the metro. Hydroponic started in the Middle East where they used water to hasten the planting cycle. Now, this practice is being implemented in New York on un-utilized rooftops through Bright Farms.

Edouard Martinet - sculptor
It would be really freaky to see crawling insects like these. Seamlessly sculpted from metal, these creations look like they are the real deal.

Artists are really innovators and dreamers. They see things that aren't yet there, and their eyes perceive things that are already there in a very different way.

Goodbye Sir Steve Jobs
People don't know what they want until you show it to them. ~ Steve Jobs

10 Laws of Steve Jobs

One shining claim of the US is Steve Jobs and Apple - amidst the gloomy picture their country is painted now. The world respects this guy highly, because he changed the world several times. His personality and attitude settle for none and that make him stand out.

We have shifted to the Mac experience slowly some two years ago. They say that once you've experienced it, you won't settle for anything less. From a single Mac laptop to all things Mac in our house, that's how we've been Steve-fied.

The world will need another fountainhead that will steer excellence and perfection now that he left Apple as CEO.

Unhappy parents 

Dr. Kevin Leman  advises parents to utter, a simple and calm "I'm very unhappy with what I see/hear "...turn around and leave.

It works with 4, 10, 17, not to mention the 20 year old. I call it " parental poker". Every parent has to learn to play those cards just right. It works. Kids don't like it when mom/dad are unhappy!

I have tried the Leman book Have a New Kid by Friday and I agree 100% with his sensible parenting tips. Though sometimes I forget, being reminded consistently of parenting the Leman way proves effective.

Take for instance a conversation I had with my daughter's classmates' mom. She told me that her son didn't want to go to school anymore. When she investigated, her son admitted that he fears school because the teacher might get mad at him when he fails to write his name. The boy said the teacher looked like ghost when she got angry. My daughter never mentioned anything about her teachers getting mad. She is, perhaps, used to serious looking mom when I deal with her the Leman way.

Pinto Art Gallery in Antipolo, Rizal
My share of the long weekend climaxed yesterday, when together with my small group, we went to the Touch of Glory Prayer Mountain near the Gozon compound in Boso-Boso, Antipolo. After having our lunch there - I ordered their famous arrozcaldo, we visited Pinto Art Gallery. It was a gallery and a private collection exhibit hall of Dr. Joven Cuanang, a director of Neurology at St. Lukes Medical Hospital.

The facility lies behind a famous restaurant named Laya. I don't know if the people who eat there know about this treasure tucked behind the gate inside the Sierra Madre Grand Height Subdivision.

The Mediterranean inspired design of the whole place worked around the natural landscape of the place. There were trees shooting inside the roof of the veranda. Huge boulders of stones were incorporated at the main art gallery as if they were in exhibit too.

I also liked that in between the art houses are green gardens with welcoming lounge areas. The garden used endemic plants - saw black bamboos there - both ornamental and palatable ones. I only found out that citronella leaves look the same as lemon grass there.

Pinto Art Gallery is a place I will go back to - bringing the kids with me next time. There was a pre-nuptial photo session ongoing when we had our tour. And yes, we were toured by one of the artists in display there too - Mr. Jim. All the featured artists are Filipinos and they are AWESOME creations there. More power to Filipinos supporting the Philippines art and nature.